Friends of Snakes Society rescued 13,028 snakes across Telangana in 2024, four-fold increase from 2015

Friends of Snakes Society (FOS) rescued 13,028 snakes across Telangana in 2024 with zero snakebite incidents among its volunteer force. The society, a non-profit organization dedicated to herpetological conservation and human-wildlife conflict resolution in the State, has rescued and rehabilitated 75,000 snakes in the past decade with 3,389 in 2015.

The nearly four-fold increase in snake rescues from 3,389 to 13,028 indicates growing awareness among people to conserve snakes and the organization’s expanding capabilities, said Avinash Viswanathan, general secretary of FOS.

Common species

The common species encountered in 2024 were 6,186 Spectacled Cobras, 3,120 Indian Rat Snakes, 1,386 Checkered Keelback, 574 Russell’s Viper, 422 Common Bronze Back Tree Snake and 112 Indian Rock Python. Of the total, 6,836 venomous snakes were rescued, including Spectacled Cobra and Russell’s Viper.

“The Spectacled Cobra represented 47.5% of rescues, while the Indian Rat Snake accounted for 24%. This predominance suggests these species’ remarkable adaptability to anthropogenic landscapes, particularly in urban and peri-urban environments of Telangana,” he said.

Mr. Avinash said that the organization’s success in handling such a large number of rescues without any snakebite incidents among its volunteers underscores the effectiveness of its rigorous training programs, methodology and safety protocols, such as implementation of species-specific handling protocols, mandatory safety equipment usage, continuous training and skill assessment of rescue personnel, real-time documentation of rescue parameters along with weather data of the rescue location and GPS-based recording of rescue locations for spatial analysis.

The society is conducting a temporal study examining seasonal variations in snake activity, species distribution and habitat utilization patterns across urban gradients. “This research aims to enhance understanding of snake ecology in human-modified landscapes and improve conservation strategies. This research is also particularly important in forecasting snake activity throughout the country,” said Mr. Avinash.